The Manufacturers Association has asked the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry for compensation for its members who have been hurt by the Palestinian boycott against goods produced in the West Bank.

Ministry officials have already approached their Palestinian counterparts and international bodies to ask them to act to cancel the boycott, which they say violates international trade rules and policies.

Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer raised the issue with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in a recent meeting.

Over the past few weeks, the Palestinian Authority has been promoting the boycott against goods produced in the settlements.

Ben-Eliezer said he views the Palestinian decision seriously, and in light of the renewal of talks between the sides, "the boycott must be lifted immediately because of the fact that many businesses in Judea and Samaria employ a large number of Palestinians," said Ben-Eliezer.

"An economic boycott is a base political tool that does not contribute at all to the atmosphere we are trying to create in our region."

Israel sold NIS 15 billion worth of goods to the Palestinians in 2009, while Palestinian sales to Israel were about NIS 1.5 billion, though only about half of each amount was actually manufactured in the two places and the rest was imported.

To get the latest from HaaretzFollow @HaaretzomLike us on Facebook and get articles directly in your news feed

Talk about employing double standards--the government says boycotting
settlement-made goods is against international practice and law. The
Palestinians by now should realize by now that only Israeli is allowed
to violate international law.

The Pals are reaching a new level of awarenes considering making
painfull choices needed for their cause. It is propably too much asked
to see Abbas woving his own cotton for clothes like Ghandi did after he
started the Indian independence movement by making all Indians
boycotting English manufactured cotton. But one cannot buy and eat
tomatoes from land stolen from one if one is serious about getting it
back. Poverty hurts but when Settler companies starts laying off Pal
workers, it will increase pressure on Israel and no one will accuse Pals
of stupidity and shooting in their own foot.. And I am sooo sure mr.
Ben-Eliezer has as utmost concern those poor Pal workers that will be
laid off and not the settler economy.

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, and analysis from Israel and the Middle East.
Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict,
the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.